inspections
Chicago Restaurant Inspection Lookup
Chicago's Department of Public Health publishes restaurant inspection results through the city's open data portal. Panko Alerts ingests this data and makes it searchable — so you don't need to navigate government databases to find out if your favorite restaurant passed its last inspection.
Chicago's pass/fail system
Unlike NYC's letter grades, Chicago uses a Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail system. A 'Pass with Conditions' means the restaurant passed but had violations that need to be corrected by a follow-up date. A 'Fail' requires a mandatory re-inspection, and the restaurant may be closed until critical violations are addressed.
Types of violations found in Chicago
Chicago violations are categorized as critical or serious. Critical violations directly threaten public health — things like improper food temperatures, evidence of pests, or handwashing failures. Serious violations are significant but less immediately dangerous. The number and type of violations determine the overall result.
Stay updated on Chicago inspections
Panko Alerts pulls Chicago inspection data regularly and delivers new results in a clean, searchable feed. Each inspection includes violation descriptions, severity levels, and an AI-generated plain-language summary — so you know what was actually found, not just whether the restaurant passed.
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